1-3 October 2026
October is the month of the Holy Angels, and it follows fast upon the feast of St Michael with whom the other archangels are associated in the liturgy. In the monastic breviary at Lauds on 29 September we sing a beautiful hymn in which a verse is reserved for each of the three archangels.
Send thy Archangel,
Michael, to our succour;
Peacemaker blessed, may he banish from us
Striving and hatred, so that for the peaceful
All things may prosper.
St Michael is the one who stepped in when Lucifer proclaimed his revolt against God by wanting to be like God and saying: I will not serve! Michael proclaims: Who is like God? and rallies the other angels and they restore peace in Heaven by casting out the evildoers those who would not accept the reign of the one true God and the eternal kingdom of peace He offers to us. Let us ask St Michael to protect the Holy Catholic Church from all the influences that seek to destroy the peace she has received from her Lord, and may he help us all know and embrace the paths of true peace by rejecting evil and embracing all that is good, holy and of sound doctrine.
Send thy Archangel,
Gabriel, the mighty,
Herald of Heaven: may he from us mortals
Spurn the old serpent, watching o’er the temples
Where Thou art worshipped.
St Gabriel is the one chosen to greet Our blessed Lady and announce to her the incarnation of the Son of God. Because his message is one that brings the strength of God to us in the Person of His Son, it is fitting that he be called the Strength of God. Let’s have recourse to his intercession when we feel weak (which is a lot if not all of the time!). True, we are weak, but the strength of God is given to us for the asking. As St Paul says: I can do all things in the One who strengthens me (Ph. 4:13).
Send thy Archangel,
Raphael, the restorer
Of the misguided ways of men who wander,
Who at thy bidding strengthens soul and body
With Thine anointing.
St Raphael, who is called the Medicine of God was sent to Tobias to achieve the cure of delivering Sarah from the devil who had killed her previous husbands and also the blindness of Tobias. This gives us confidence to have recourse to him for all those we know who are suffering from various ailments of mind and body. As we struggle to help the sick carry their cross, at the same time, we ask for healing to be given. The devil seeks to kill, to destroy; God gives healing, and restores all things. Let us ask St Raphael to make his presence felt in the lives of all our loved ones who are in pain. May he help them persevere in hope, offering themselves up on the altar of sacrifice for as long as God in His infinite goodness knows that it is beneficial to their and our souls.